When You Are Engulfed In Flames

Novel By: David Sedaris

The idea of “a collection of essays” has always bored me, as I envisioned a textbook full of lackluster stories and unrelatable life lessons. This book, however, is not that. When You Are Engulfed In Flames is a beautifully crafted novel filled with stories of both mundane and extraordinary moments that are further enhanced by Sedaris’ storytelling abilities. Whilst reading the first chapter, I was able to spot the transition between events that imitated the speech of a very distracted friend. This writing detail had taken me aback, but in a good way, because the book only became more personal and personable. 

There were lots of lighthearted experiences shared that made me giggle, along with a few deeper chapters that made me reflect on what I would have said and done in the author’s position. I did constantly find myself asking how someone could come up with such brilliant ideas and metaphors and significant connections, jealously wondering why I wasn’t gifted with the wittiness Sedaris has mastered. 

Something that threw my head head for a loop was the lack of introductions for some of the characters, but I believe that is because this is not the first book of essays David Sedaris has published, so I may be missing a bit of context that can be found in his other novels. Nevertheless, this was such a fun and easy read to pick up during your free time, as the essays are connected but still maintain a level of independence from one another; they can all pretty much be read as stand-alone stories, and I find myself mentally bookmarking both Sedaris and his work as source material, should I ever decide to write a novel myself.  Speaking of writing, I think it is worth mentioning how I came across this novel. Well, I don’t exactly remember how it was recommended to me, but I do remember seeing the eerie title and cover of a skeleton smoking a cigarette, leading me to believe that I was going to be reading something scary or philosophical. I walked into a Barnes and Noble one day on the hunt for this book, only to end up a bit confused and frustrated when it never turned up in the biography or fiction sections. After a bit of googling, I found out this book was classified as “COMEDY”. Looking back on it now, that wild goose chase experience is something that fits very well into the realm of David Sedaris. I am glad I decided to go ahead and purchase When You Are Engulfed In Flames that day, because it really has opened my eyes to the idea that writing does not have to be dramatic and life changing, but more so a pastime of enjoyment and expression, something more people need to invest in.